Defenseman Mike Berger was born on June 2, 1967 in Edmonton, Alberta and spent five seasons, including two All-Star campaigns, in the Western Hockey League honing his craft before making the leap to professional hockey in 1986-87. Berger was the Minnesota North Stars second pick in the 1985 Entry Draft and made his pro debut with the Indianapolis Checkers of the International Hockey League in 1986-87. He was in the NHL a year later.

Berger played 29 games as a rookie with the North Stars, managing three goals and an assist. He surfaced again at the NHL level the next year, playing a single game with Minnesota while spending the rest of his season with their IHL affiliate.

Prior to the start of what would be Berger's third NHL season, he was dealt by the North Stars to the Hartford Whalers but didn't make their team out of training camp. Instead, he split his season with the Phoenix Roadrunners of the IHL and the Binghamton Whalers of the American Hockey League. This nomadic professional hockey existence would become a staple of his career.

For the 1990-91 season, Berger split his year with two new clubs, playing with the Kansas City Blades of the "I" and the East Coast Hockey League's Knoxville Cherokees. The following year was spent with the Thunder Bay Thunderhawks of the Colonial Hockey League. In 1992-93, he added the Tulsa Oilers to his professional résumé, as well as a Central Hockey League Second All-Star selection. Berger's suitcase packing days finally came to end, and he went on to play seven seasons with the Tulsa Oilers. He ended his career where it started, returning to Indianapolis to serve as the team's captain and play his final season with the Ice in 1999-2000. Berger went out on top, winning the Miron Cup in his last year as a player.

Despite playing just one year with the Ice, Berger's #44 jersey was retired and hung in the rafters at the Pepsi Coliseum, partially due to his career totals. At the time of his retirement, he was the third highest scoring defenseman in league history.

Berger's retirement didn't keep him away from hockey, or Indianapolis, long. After just a year away from the game, Berger signed on as the Ice's assistant coach in August 2001.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1982-83

Fort Saskatchewan Traders

AJHL

54

7

47

54

92

1982-83

Lethbridge Broncos

WHL

1

0

0

0

0

1983-84

Lethbridge Broncos

WHL

41

2

9

11

60

5

0

1

1

7

1984-85

Lethbridge Broncos

WHL

58

9

31

40

85

4

0

3

3

9

1985-86

Lethbridge Broncos

WHL

21

2

9

11

39

1985-86

Spokane Chiefs

WHL

36

7

31

38

56

9

1

5

6

14

1986-87

Spokane Chiefs

WHL

65

26

49

75

80

2

0

0

0

2

1986-87

Indianapolis Checkers

IHL

4

0

3

3

4

6

0

1

1

13

1987-88

Minnesota North Stars

NHL

29

3

1

4

65

-19

1987-88

Kalamazoo Wings

IHL

36

5

10

15

94

6

2

0

2

8

1988-89

Minnesota North Stars

NHL

1

0

0

0

2

-1

1988-89

Kalamazoo Wings

IHL

67

9

16

25

96

6

0

2

2

8

1989-90

Phoenix Roadrunners

IHL

51

5

12

17

75

1989-90

Binghamton Whalers

AHL

10

0

4

4

10

1990-91

Kansas City Blades

IHL

46

7

14

21

43

1990-91

Knoxville Cherokees

ECHL

7

1

7

8

31

1991-92

Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks

ColHL

54

17

27

44

127

10

6

7

13

16

1992-93

Tulsa Oilers

CHL

47

16

26

42

116

7

2

3

5

4

1992-93

Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks

ColHL

8

3

5

8

20

1993-94

Tulsa Oilers

CHL

58

15

19

34

134

11

7

4

11

22

1994-95

Tulsa Oilers

CHL

46

10

20

30

64

1995-96

Tulsa Oilers

CHL

45

9

18

27

110

6

0

1

1

22

1996-97

Tulsa Oilers

CHL

64

9

33

42

68

5

0

2

2

10

1997-98

Tulsa Oilers

CHL

63

11

28

39

121

3

2

1

3

2

1998-99

Tulsa Oilers

CHL

69

25

35

60

93

-35

1999-00

Indianapolis Ice

CHL

67

10

26

36

72

+7

9

2

0

2

38

2000-01

Indianapolis Ice

CHL

2001-02

Indianapolis Ice

CHL

NHL Totals

30

3

1

4

67

WHL West Second All-Star Team (1986, 1987) CHL Second All-Star Team (1993)

Traded to Hartford by Minnesota for Kevin Sullivan, October 7, 1989. Signed as a free agent by Indianapolis (CHL), September 9, 1999. Played w/ RHI's Oakland Skates in 1994 (17-1-3-4-62).